Chair



May 16, 19.39. G- D. WOOD 2,158,453

CHAIR Filed Feb. 18, 1937 Patented May 16, 1939 narran srArEs CHAIR Glenn D. Wood, Elkhart, Ind., assigner to Posture Research Corporation, Elkhart, Ind., a

corporation of Indiana Application February 18,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in chairs and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

s The chair with which the present invention is more particularly concerned, is one wherein the back rest is adjustably and pivotally mounted with respect to the seat and a brace is employed between the back rest and the seat. Such a fo chair is exemplified in my prior Patent 2,018,825

of October 29, 1935. n the chair of said patent, the iront end of the brace is operatively connected to an elongated member at one side of the seat or its supporting frame, by means of a bolt passing through said brace end and through one oi a number oi longitudinally spaced holes in said elongated member. When it is desired to adjust the angular position of the back rest, it is necessary to completely remove the bolt .34) from said elongated member and then replace it in that opening providing the desired adjustment.

Such adjustments are not always made by eX- perienced persons so that diiiiculty is encountered in lining up the bolts with the proper holes. Also,

) by reason of the spacing between the holes, the

desired adjustment can only be approximated.

Gne of the objects of the present invention is to provide in a chair of this kind, a novel connection for the brace with respect to the seat,

3 wherein an accurate back rest adjustment may be more readily made without a complete removal of the retaining bolts connecting the brace to the seat.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a chair of this kind, a novel connection for the brace arm with the seat flange and which con nection, when loosened, may be slid in guided engagement along the side of the seat into the desired adjusted position, merely by moving the back rest into the desired angular position with respect to the seat.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a chair of this kind, a slidable connection for the brace arm with the seat and which connection may be locked positively against movement in duced by a pressure imposed in one direction or the other, upon the back rest.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, together with the several advantages thereof, will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the seat and backrest of an adjustable back rest chair embodying the preferred form of the invention.

1937, Serial No. 126,387

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through one side of the chair, on an enlarged scale, as taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical detail sectional View through a part of the chair as taken on the line 3 3 of 5 Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of a certain runner block, embodied in the improved chair construction.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment or .l the invention illustrated in the drawing: 5y iny'10 dcates the seat of the improved chair and 6 indicates the back rest of the chair, both of which are shown herein as upholstered. While this is not essential, it is preferable.

'Ihe seat is supported upon a spider l which is '155 operatively mounted on a seat post 8 having a rotative bearing engagement in a conventional chair base, not shown herein. The spider is provided at each of its opposite sides with an edgewise disposed elongated or harige-like element S 20 which may or may not be formed as an integral part of the spider. As shown herein, said inem-- ber is formed as the vertical flange of an angle bar, the horizontal flange iii of which faces inwardly and rests upon and is secured to the asso- (Q5 ciated part of the spider. In each elongated member 9 is a longitudinal slot II and on the inner face 0I" each of said members are vertically extending V shaped ribs and grooves I2.

Associated with the inner face of each elon- 30 gated member 9 is a runner I3. As shown in Fig. 4, said runner is in the form of a block having longitudinally spaced guide lugs I 4 projecting from one face of the block for engagement in the slot Il. On said face of the runner, 35 above and below said lugs, are vertically extending V shaped ribs and grooves i5. The ribs on the runners engage in the grooves I2 on the elongated member and the ribs on the latter engage in the grooves on the runners. In said 40 runner I3, at a point between the lugs I 4 is a threaded hole I6.

The back rest 6 is disposed between the top ends of a pair of downwardly and forwardly curved arms Il. A screw I8 carried by the top 45 end of each arm is operatively engaged with the back rest to provide a connection therebetween.

A plurality of longitudinally spaced holes I9 is formed in the bottom end of each arm and a screw 2 passes through one of said holes and 50 is threaded into a hole in the associated elongated member 9 to provide a pivotal connection for each arm with respect to the seat. At a point midway between the ends of each arm is a plurality of holes 2|, arranged in a row ex- 55 tending transversely of the arm. The purpose of said holes will soon appear.

Associated with each back rest supporting arm, is a brace 22, the top end of which is connected to an associated arm I'I by a screw 23 threaded into one of the holes 2|. The other end of each brace is disposed to the outside of the associated member 9. A screw or bolt 24 passes through said end of each brace and through the slot II in the associated elongated member 9 for a threaded engagement in the hole I6 in a runner I3. A spacing Washer 25 is securely positioned on the bolt 24 between said elongated member and the associated end of the brace, and a second washer 26 is positioned on said bolt between the said brace end and the head of the bolt. This arrangement swivels the bolt 24 with respect to brace end. If desired, the brace 22 may be a yielding telescopic one such as is illus trated in the before mentioned patent, but the use of such a brace is not essential in this particular instance.

When the bolt 24 is tightened, due to its swivelled connection with the brace end, it threads into the runner and draws the same toward the elongated member 9 so that the ribs I5 on the block fit snugly in the grooves in said elongated member and vice-versa. Thus, the runner is positively held against longitudinal movement with respect to the elongated member. To adjust the forward or backward position of the back rest with respect to the seat, the bolts 24 are loosened. As each bolt is thus loosened, it 'causes a lateral separation between the runner and the associated brace 22. By a forward or rearward pressure on the back rest, according to the position into which it is to be adjusted, the brace arms 22 will slide the runners I3-I3 along the members 9 into the desired position, the ribs and grooves I5 of the runners clicking over the grooves and ribs I2 of the members 9. It is pointed out at this time, that the lugs I4 are of a depth greater than that of the ribs and grooves on the runner. Thus, when the bolts 24 are loosened, previous to making a back rest adjustment, said lugs remain in the slots I2 for guided engagement, after a separation of the ribs and grooves of the runners with those of the members 9.

' When the back rest has been adjusted to the desired position, the bolts 24 are tightened up and this draws the runners I3 toward their elongated members 9 so that the respective ribs and grooves thereof engage as before to positively lock the runners in place against longitudinal movement.

It is apparent, from the above, that it is not necessary to completely remove the bolts 24 in making a back rest adjustment, but that such an adjustment is afforded merely by loosening said bolts and then swinging the back rest into the desired adjusted position. Thereafter, the bolts are tightened to lock the back rest in the desired adjusted position.

While in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the various parts involved, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A chair embodying therein a seat, a flange-like member along each side of the seat and having a longitudinal slot therein and having transverse ribs and grooves on the inner face thereof above and below said slot, a back rest, supporting arms therefor, one on each side of the seat and each having a pivotal connection at one end with a flange-like member along the associated side of the seat, a runner for each flange-like member and having a screw threaded opening therein and also having complemental grooves and ribs for engagement with those on the associated ange-like member, a brace at each side of the ,L

than the depth of the said ribs and grooves to prevent a turning of said runner when said threaded member is turned.

GLENN D. WOOD. 

